Automatically-adjustable-roller car-wheel.



Patented .luly I8, |899.

a/'enZ-on 33g his fri ofzney 4J/ J. .L A. MILLER.

AummATacALLv ADJUSTABLE noLLEn cAn WHEEL.

Wzzwsets.-

TFE TATBS JOHN J. A. MILLER, or DENVER, COLORADO.

UTOMATlCAhLY-ADJUSTABLEi-ROLLER CAR-WHEEL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent IO. 629,011, dated July 18,1899.

Applicatiouiiled December 12,1898. `Serial No. 6993135. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom t may concern.:

Be it known that I, JOHN J. A. MILLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAutomatically-Adjustable-Roller Car-Wheels; and I do declare thefol-lowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the figures of reference marked.

thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in roller-bearing car-wheels; andthe objects of my invention are,'rst, to provide anautomatically-adjustable roller-bearing for carwheels that willautomatically adjust itself and keep in proper running order as both therollers and the tread-ring and the bearing parts wear away, and, second,to provide a simple and practical roller-bearing car-wheel. I attainthese objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings,in

Figure 1 designates a sectional elevation of my improved car-wheel. Fig.2 is a crosssection of Fig. 1 on line A. Fig. 3 is a per- Spective Viewof the radial roller-block with the rolls in place, and Fig. Il is aside elevation of the complete wheel.

Similar iigures of reference refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

In Fig. 1 the numeral 5 designates a caraxle. This axle may beloose inthe disk 6; but it is preferably keyed toit, as shown. The disk 6 isprovided at a plurality of points in its periphery with holes ofpolygonal shape, preferaby square, which extend radially toward thecenter. The polygonal shape given the holes may extend to their bottomsor may be round from the bottom up for a portion of their length. Thenumber of holes should not b e less than three and may consist of asmany as can be arranged in the disk without weakening it. Six, eight,ten, or more could be useddepending on the size of the Wheel. In theseradial holes I fit loosely a roller-supporting block, which consists ofa head portion 7, which has a semicircular bearing 8, aneck portion 9,that depends from the head portion, and a stem portion 10, that dependsfrom the neck portion. The neck portion is given the same polygonal formas the top of the radial holes and iits loosely but snuglyV in them fora short portion of their length and is arranged and adapted to hold thehead portion, and especially the rollerbearin g, transversely across theperiphery and in axial alinement with the axis of the disk. The stemportion is smaller than the neck portion and is surrounded by anexpansive coiled spring 11, which rests against the bottom of the holeat one end and bears against the neck of the block with expandingpressure, which tends to throw theblock out of the disk. In the bearingof the block I place a roller 12, which bears against the internalperiphery of the tread-ring 13 of the wheel, which consists of a ringentirely independent of the disk of the wheel. The rollers and theirsupporting-blocksare made very nearly the entire width of thetread-ring. I preferably counterbore a circular recess in each side ofit, in which is iitted and bolted by bolts 14 a plate 1.5. These platesfit loosely but snugly around the axle close up'against the sides of`the disk, which when the side plates are set into the sides of thetread-ring is a little narrower than it is. `These side plates may bebolted to the outside of the sides of the tread portion and save formingthe recesses in it, in which case the disk would be of about the samewidth as the tread. Around the axle and to the sides I securedust-guards 16 by screws 17 which may be of` any suitable material andconstruction. The tread-rin g is provided with the usual side flange 18.

In the drawings I have illustrated but three rollers andsupporting-blocks; but it can be readily seen thatif the periphery ofthe disk was provided with six or more the tread portion would be veryevenly supported by rollers throughout its internal circumference. InFig. 3 I' illustrate a roller-supporting block in perspective7 in whichthe head portion is much longer than the stem and neck portions, thisparticular form of supportingblock being used with very wide wheels.

In assembling the elements of the wheel together the springs are firstplaced in the holes in the periphery of the disk and then the stems IOOand necks ofthe rad ial blocks are placed in the holes,the stems passingdown through the springs. The tread-ring is then placed over the radialblocks, and they are pushed down into their holes until the rollers canbe slipped into place between them and the interior periphery of thetread-ring. The tread-ring is then 's upported concentricallyaroundthe'disk by the rollers, which are held tightly against its internalperiphery by the radial expansive thrust of their radialsupporting-blocks,which is due to the expansive force of the springs,and the tread-ring as it rolls along a rail rolls on the rollers whichrotate in their respective radial blocks, while the disk is stationaryon the axle relative to the tread-ring, although, as above stated, thedisk-rin g may be loose on the shaft, if preferred. The rollers are thusheld automatically against the treadring by the radial blocks and theirsprings,

and their bearing between the radial blocks andvtread-ring is maintaineduntil they wear away to about one-half of their norm al diameter. Thetread -ring and the blocks also wear; but there can never be any looseplay on account of wear between the tread-ring and the disk, and as therollers are independent of each other one may wear faster than theothers and still bear against the treadring until its radial block bearsagainst the tread-ring. `The capacity and power of the springs for thedifferent-sized wheels should be varied to suit the requirements of theduty the wheel is to put it, street-car wheels requiring lighter springsthan railway-ears and freight-cars stronger springs than railwayears.

19 designates an oil recess or passage which may be formed in one orboth sides of the radial blocks and leading to the bearing. Theseoil-recesses may be filled with a suitable lubricating compound or maybe iilled with an oil-absorbent and filled with oil. In place of thisrecess any suitable oil-cup may be attached to the radial blocks. Tofacilitate the oiling of the block without removing the side plates, Iprovide an oil-hole through each plate in line with the tops of theblocks large enough to insert the end of an oil-can and resupply themwith oil. A plug 2O is screwed in the oil-hole, as once provided withoil they would not need reoilin g for several weeks or months.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secureby-Letters Patent, is

l. In an outwardlyeadjustable-roller carn wheel, the combination withthe axle, of a disk mounted thereon provided with a plurality ofspring-actuated radially-disposed and roller-bearing blocks, atread-ring surrounding said disk aud rollers journaled in said blocksand resiliently held against said blocks and the inner periphery of saidtreadring substantially as described.

2. In an automatically-adjustable-roller car-wheel, the combination withthe axle, of a disk mounted thereon, a plurality of rollersupportspositioned in the periphery of said disk, rollers mounted in saidsupports, a tread-ring positioned around said disk and springs arrangedto automatically and continuously hold said roller and their supportsagainst said ring whereby said tread-ring may roll around said disk ousaid rollers and an automatically and coutiu nous adjustment is made forthe wear of the rollers and ring, substantially as described. A

3. The combination with the axle, of the disk keyed thereto, a pluralityof roller-supports radially movable from near the axis to beyond theperiphery of said disk, rollers mounted in said support, a tread-ringsurrounding said rollers and springs arranged to hold said rollerscontinuously against said tread-ring, substantially as described.

t. The combination with the axle of a disk keyed thereto, a plurality ofradial holes in said disk having a polygonal shape for a portion oftheir length, blocks tting loosely in said holes having a portionfitting the polyenal portion of said holes, a bearing formed in the headportion of said blocks adapted to receive a portion of a roller, atread-ring surrounding said disk and rollers and a spring arranged toradially and continuously press said blocks outward and to hold saidrollers constantly against said tread-ring, substantially as described.

5. The combination with the axle, of the disk keyed thereto, theradially-positioned roller-bearing blocks, the expansive springs betweensaid blocks and disk, the roller mounted in said block, the tread-ringsurrounding said disk and running and bearing on said rollers and sideplates inclosing said disk and rollers secured to the side of saidtread-ring, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the axle of a disk secured thereto, a pluralityof independent rollers supported at the periphery of said disk, atread-ring arranged concentrically. around said disk and axle and meansconnected with said disk and roller whereby said rollers bearcontinuously with an outward radial pressure against said tread-ring,substantially as described.

IOO

IIO

7 The combination of therollers, the radial d said disk,radially-arranged blocks arranged in said recesses, an expanding springin said recesses arranged to constantly press said blocks outward,rollers journaled in the outer or end portion of said blocks, means foroling said rollers, a tread-ring surrounding said disk and engaged uponits inner periphery by said rollers, side'plates bolted to the oppositesides of said treadring and dust-guards surrounding said shaft, andadapted to prevent dust from Working between said plates and4 and thedust-guards, substantially as described.

12. The combination with the axle and the tread-ring, of the disk havinga plurality of `radial holes each having a polygonal shape for a portionof its length, a radial bearingbloek in each hole having apolygonal-shaped portion registering With and fitting in thepolygonal-shaped portion of said radial holes, a stem portion to eachradial block, a coiled spring surrounding said stem, a head portion toeach block at the periphery of said disk and extending axially4 acrossits periphery, a semicircular bearing in said head portion,` a rollerseated in said bearing, a tread-ring surrounding said disk and rollersand engaged concentrically by said rollers, and plates secured toopposite sides of said tread-ring, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

